Son of slain Ocala woman apparently kills self

Friday

Feb 1, 2013 at 5:33 PM

A man who was about to be questioned in the death of his mother apparently killed himself Thursday as members of a Center City Philadelphia police fugitive squad escorted Marion County detectives to his apartment.

By Austin L. MillerStaff writer

A man who was about to be questioned in the death of his mother in Ocala apparently killed himself Thursday as members of a Center City Philadelphia police fugitive squad escorted Marion County detectives to his apartment.John Wagner, 32, the son of Carolyn Wagner of Ocala, was found dead in his apartment at 1819 Pine St. at 1 p.m. Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the Center City Police Department on Friday.The official said the investigation is ongoing and declined to comment further.Marion County Sheriff's Office detectives said Friday that they are working with Philadelphia authorities and said both investigations are on-going.According to a news report published online by the NBC 10 affiliate in Philadelphia, Wagner was a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association. A gun was discovered near the body, and police there said he had killed himself, noted the report."Florida police say he was a person of interest in his mother's death," stated the online report.Carolyn Wagner, 64, was found shot dead inside her upscale Lemonwood II subdivision home at 4802 SW First Ave., Ocala, shortly before 11 a.m. Dec. 30.Neighbors had noticed that her newspapers hadn't been collected in three days and they saw the garage open, which was unusual. They went inside the home and found Wagner lying on her side in bed, partially covered by a quilt, in a pool of blood.Early in their investigation, detectives had interviewed nearly 100 people, including Wagner's son and other family members, as well as friends and neighbors, with more interviews planned.Wagner was last seen alive Dec. 27.On Wednesday, local detectives released a photo of a black Chevy truck similar to one seen at her home around Dec. 27.Witnesses described the driver of the truck as a white male of medium build who stood between 5-feet 8-inches and 5-feet 9-inches in height and had short dark hair. Officials believe the owner or driver may have information that could aid their investigation.Carolyn Wagner's death occurred about 15 months after her husband, Roger, 59, a real estate appraiser, fell to his death while looking over Christine Falls, a popular tourist spot in Mount Rainier National Park near Seattle.Roger Wagner loved camping and hiking and was trying to photograph the falls when he fell. The accident was witnessed by the couple's son, John.Anyone with information about Carolyn Wagner's death or the black truck can call Detective Rhonda Stroup at 369-6845 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.